Aeroplane



G. I. SPOHRER.

AEROFLANE.

Armcmou mu) me. Is. ma.

1 306,084. Patented June 10, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GREGORY J. SPOHRER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOTOR- COMPRESSOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AEROPLAN E.

Application filed August 19, 1918.

a full. clear, and exact description of the.

invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to aeroplanes propelled by internal combustion engines and has reference more particularly to the mechanism employed for starting the internal Cmnlmstion engine of an aeroplane.

The internal combustion engines employed for propelling aeroplanes have heretofore been commonly started in operation by turning the engine shaft manually by the application of turning force to one of the blades of the propeller driven by the engine. This )rocednrc is objectionable for the reason that it sometimes results in injury to the operator due to a blow from the succeeding blade of the propeller. This has led to the provision of cranking devices for starting the propelling engines of aeroplanes manually. V

The present invention is directed to the provision of a manually-operated cranking device for starting the internal combustion engine of an aeroplane, which cranking device is distinctive in its construction and arrangement in that it permits the operator to crank the propelling engine either while he is standing on the ground beside the body of the aeroplane or while he is within the cock-pit of the bod y of the aeroplane. Such a construction and arrangement of the manual starting mechanism is of special value in that itpermits of starting the engine in operation while the aeroplane is in flight. if that be necessary, and particularly in that it. permits the operator to start the engine in operation without getting out of the cockpit. Thus. in an aeroplane for military uses, if it were necessary to land in hostile territory because of cessation of the operation of the engine. the operator could nnmediately crank the engine in the effort to resltll't it without getting out of the cork-pit so that ii the cranking of the engine succeeded in tarting it in operation. the op orator would be better able to make his as Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 10, 1919.

Serial No. 250,436.

cape than he would if the starting operation consumed greater time by reason of the necessity for dismounting from the body of the aeroplane and walking around the wing to the crank of the starting mechanism.

A starting mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a shaft which is mounted in the body of the aeroplane transverse to the length thereof and provided with means for connecting it to, and disconnecting it from the shaft of the engine. This connecting and disconnecting means is preferably automatic in its operation so that the connection is effected when the starting shaft is turned, and is broken as soon as the engine begins to operate under its own power at higher speed than the speed of rotation of the transverse shaft. One end of the transverse shaft projects through the side of the body of the aero lane and is provided with the usual crancing handle. The shaft is so located adjacent to the cock-pit in the body of the aeroplane containing the seat for the oporator as to permit the operator to grasp and rotate the handle while he remains within the cock-pit as well as while standing on the ground beside the body of the aeroplane.

A construction and arrangement of the 35 arts of an aeroplane having a manual startmg mechanism for its propelling engine embodying the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the preferred form in which the invention is utilized. In these drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of an aeroplane broken away in part; Fig. 2 is an elevation; Fi 3 is a horizontal section through the startin mechanism; Fig. 4 is a view in elevation o certain of the parts shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the automatic releasing devices.

Referring to these drawings, an aeroplane is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 having a body 6,

wings 7. a ropelling engine 8, and a propeller 9 driven thereby. The engine 8 is mounted within the body 6 extending longitudinally thereof. The body 6 is provided with the usual cock-pit 10in which is mounted a seat 11 for the operator. In the drawings. an arrangement of the parts which is usual is shown, including the mountingof the engine at the forward end of the body and the location of the cock-pit directly in rear of the engine. but it will be understood that the present invention may be eu1- ployed with other arrangements of these parts.

The engine may be started in operation by grasping and rotating a starting handle 12 which is mounted upon the side of the body of the aeroplane in such a position that it may be manipulated by the operator either while he is standing upon the ground beside the body of the aeroplane or while he is within the cock-pit, either seated upon the seat within the cock-pit or while rising slightly from the seat and leaning forward. The starting handle 12 is mounted upon a shaft 13 which extends transversely of the body 6 immediately forward of the cock-pit 10. This shaft is connected by suitable gears to a short shaft 11 mounted lengthwise of the body 6 and in axial alinement with the shaft of the engine 8. This is the arrangement of the parts which I prefer to employ in utilizing the present invention which involves the provision of a handle for starting the propelling engine manually, which handle is located upon the side of the body of the aeroplane adjacent to the cock-pit so that it may be manipulated either while the operator is standing on the ground beside the body or while he is within the cock-pit. The specific construction which I prefer to employ is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings to which reference will now be made.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the engine is shown at 8 and the end of its shaft 15 projecting through the crank case has a clutch member 16 mounted thereon. This clutch member is.

adapted for coaction with another clutch member 17 mounted upon the shaft 14. The end of the shaft 14 is provided with one or more spiral threads 18 which enter grooves in the clutch member 17 so that when the clutch member and shaft are rotated relatively, the clutch member moves axially. A spring 19 bears against the clutch member 17 to offer a slight frictional resistance to its rotation. The bearing 20 for the shaft 14 is provided with a sleeve extension 21 which telescopes with a sleeve 22 uponthe crank case of the engine 8; these parts inclose the two clutch members and provide for inclosing them properly notwithstanding variations in the distance between the crank case of the engine and the starting mechanism. l

The transverse shaft 13 is shown as mounted in bearings secured to the sides 23 of the body 6. This shaft has a bevel pinion 2st secured thereon in mesh with a bevel gear 25 secured to the end of the shaft 14. The shaft 13 extends through the bearing 26 at one side of the body 6 and carries a ratchet 27 having two teeth as shown in Fig. 4. The handle 12 is loose upon the end of shaft 13 and is held in position by a nut and washer .25. The handle is secured to a disk 29 which has two pawls 3O pivotally mounted thereon in position for engagement with the teeth of ratchet 27. Each pawl 30 is pressed toward the ratchet by a spring 31 as shown in Fig. 4. The portion of the bearing 26 adjacent to the ratchet 27 is in the form of a disk 31 provided with a multiplicity of notches or slots in its periphery as shown in Fig. 5. These slots contain releasing devices in the form of blocks 32. Each block is preferably pivoted upon a pivot pin 33. The blocks or releasing devices 32 are held yieldingly in the positions in which they are shown in Figs. 3 and 5 by means of a spring consisting of a ring of spirally wound spring wire lying in a groove in the disk 31 of such depth that the spring is 1n contact with the outer sides of all of the releasing devices 32. Each releasing device is provided with an extension in the form of a cam 34 projecting beyond the face of the disk 31 and having its sides inclined at an angle of approximately 45 to a radius passing through the cam. Each of the pawls 30 is provided with a cam projection 35, the sides of which are somewhat similarly inclined as is indicated in Fig. 1.

When the handle 12 and the pawls 3O moving therewith are rotated, the cam projections 35 on the pawls rotate in a. plane which includes the cam projections 34 on the releasing devices 32.

To start the engine. the handle 12 is rotated. the pawls 130 engage the ratchet 2T, thcrc by rotating the shaft 13 and the shaft 14, and the clutch member 17 is moved axially upon shaft 14 until it engages the clutch member 16. whereupon the engine shaft is rotated with the handle 12 at a speed relative to the speed of rotation of the handle determined by the coacting gears 24 and 25. As soon as the engine starts under its own power. the clutch member 17 is rotated at a speed in excess of the speed of the shaft 1 1 and is caused to move backwardly upon shaft 14 until it is out of engagement with the clutch member 16. When the handle 12 is rotated to start the engine thus, the outer side of the outer portion of each cam 35 engages successively the inner portions of the cams 34 on the releasing devices 32, and the cams 34 on the releasing devices are raised slightly against the tension of their spring and are returned to their initial positions by the spring after the cam on the pawl has passed. 1f during the starting operation the engine were to back-fire and cause the handle 12 to move backward, the inner sides of the outer portions of the cams 35 on the pawls would engage the outer sides of the inner portions of the cams 34 on two of the releasing devices 32 and instead of the releasing devices being moved by the pawls, the pawls would be withdrawn by the releasing devices from coaction with the teeth of ratchet 27.

In the present instance eight of the releasing devices are shown located equidistant about the of the ratchet but the number of releasing :devices may be increased as desired, thereby correspondingly decreasing the distance through which the handle might move backward before being released from its connection to the end of the shaft.

I claim:

1. An aeroplane having a body provided with a cock-pit and a seat Within the cockpit, an internal combustion engine for propelling the aeroplane mounted within the body lengthwise thereof and adjacent to the cock-pit, and a manually operated starting mechanism for starting the engine provided with a handle which is adapted to be connected to the engine shaft for starting the engine and which is mounted upon the side of the body so that it may be turned by the operator either while standing beside the pody of the aeroplane or while in the cockbit.

2. An aeroplane having a body provided with a cook-pit and a seat within the cockpit. an internal combustion engine mounted within the body lengthwise thereof and adjacent to the cockpit, a shaft extending transversely of the body and adjacent to the cock-pit, means for connecting the said shaft to the engine shaft and disconnecting it therefrom, and a handle mounted upon one end of the said shaft outside the body and adjacent to the cock-pit so that it may be grasped and operated by the operator either While standing beside the body or While in the cock-pit.

3. An aeroplane provided with a body having a cock-pit and a seat within the cock-pit. an internal combustion engine for propelling the aeroplane mounted Within the body lengthwise thereof and adjacent to the cock-pit, a shaft extending transversely of the body and adjacent to the cock-pit, an automatically operated connecting device for connecting said shaft to the engine shaft when the shaft is turned While the enine shaft is stationary and disconnecting it from the engine shaft when the latter rotates at higher speed than said shaft, and a handle upon one end of the transverse shaft located outside of. and close to the body so that it may be grasp 'l and operated by the operator of the aeroplane either While standing beside the body of the aeroplane or while in the cock-pit.

4. An aero )lane provided with a body having a coc -pit and a seat Within the cock-pit. an internal combustion engine for propelling the aeroplane mounted within the body lengthwise thereof and adjacent to the cock-pit. a shaft extending transversely of the body and adjacent to the cockpit, an automatically operated connecting device for connecting said shaft to the engine shaft when the shaft is turned while the engine shaft is stationary and disconnecting it from the engine shaft when the latter rotates at higher speed than said shaft, a handle upon one end of the transverse shaft located outside of and close'to the body so that it may be grasped and operated by the operator of the aeroplane either while stand ing beside the body of the aeroplane or While in the cockpit. and automatically operated devices for effecting disconnection of the handle from the engine shaft in the event of a backward movement of the handle caused by a back-fire of the engine.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GREGORY J. SPOHRER. 

